Agricultural products or materials, such as, for example, jute, cotton, or the like, are commonly formed into bales within various different types of baling apparatus. The materials from which the bales are formed are initially compressed to a fraction of their original size, the compressed materials are then encircled within suitable strapping members, which may be fabricated from various materials, such as, for example, a suitable metal or plastic material, and subsequently still further, the opposite ends of the strapping members are fixedly secured together by means of a suitable sealed joint so as to retain the compressed baled material in its compressed state. Subsequent to the aforenoted baling of the material, the encircling of the baled material within the strapping members, and the fixation of the sealed joint upon the opposite ends of the strapping members, the baled material will naturally or inherently tend to expand with a considerable amount of force, sometimes within the range of, for example, 2000 pounds psi.
The sealed joint usually comprises a crimped member, and accordingly, when the sealed joint is utilized in conjunction with metal strapping, the metal strapping is sufficiently deformed to a predetermined degree, within localized areas or regions, such that a secure sealed joint system is in fact able to be defined between the sealed joint and the ends of the strapping members. It has been experienced, however, that when a similar sealed joint is utilized in conjunction with plastic strapping, such as, for example, polyester or polypropylene materials, the crimping of the sealed joint onto the opposite ends of the strapping members is often insufficient to fixedly retain the strapping members securely fixed upon the baled material due to the inherent or natural degree of slipperiness of the plastic materials with respect to each other. Alternatively, if the degree, to which the sealed joint is crimped onto the plastic strapping members, is increased or enhanced, the structural integrity of portions of the plastic strapping members is sometimes compromised such that, again, the opposite ends of the strapping members are not fixedly retained in a secure manner upon the baled material.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved sealed joint, or system, for securing together the opposite ends of plastic strapping which is encircled around the package or bale in order to ensure that the opposite ends of the plastic strapping do not exhibit any slipping or relative movement with respect to each other whereby the predeterminedly formed size or shape of the package or bale is able to be preserved or maintained, and that, in addition, the structural integrity of the package or bale is maintained during, for example, transportation, shipping, and handling of the bale or package.